Nowadays, you don’t need to work in a traditional office environment and that is called remote work. Remote employees are brought together thanks to technology, which gives employees the opportunity to work and share files from anywhere in the world where they’ll have a decent Internet connection. The remote team manager then has a challenging task ahead that requires a lot of patience and effective communication to ensure a stable work environment.

Understanding Self-leadership

A great leader starts from within, through self-awareness. As a remote team leader, you need to know your intentions, strengths and weaknesses, talents and abilities, and the values you entail.

Why intentions? Knowing them you can influence your team members and make a huge impact on their lives. They will have no insecurities about the tasks at hand and will have a clear goal about where your business is heading, so their motivation will spike and results will follow.

An effective leader manifests confidence and assertiveness by positively influencing others with words and actions. One thing that slips many leaders’ minds is to accept and adjust to the feedback they receive from their employees. Criticism (positive and negative) should motivate you to learn from the good and the bad and do better in the future.

If a leader lacks self-confidence and self-awareness, it will affect the employees and the whole organization. A lack of self-awareness leads to inappropriate behavior, impulsive decisions, stress, inability to regulate emotions, laziness, and so on.

Leading Remote Teams

Managing remote employees across the globe is not an easy task. There is a possibility that they are not in the same location as you are and may work in a different time zone. Despite the distance, leading remotely is all about trusting your employees to get their job done on time. Trust can be practiced by providing a well-structured workflow and clear communication with your employees.

Choose an employee or a team that demonstrates a positive attitude about work and are willing to give their full efforts in your business. Build a remote workforce with a solid foundation of trust and establish strong connections that keep people on your team. As a leader, employees will follow you towards your desired outcomes. So, make sure you’re a trusted leader worth following.

Monitor your remote team’s activities by using websites, tools, and applications to see what your employees are working on and to supervise what needs to be done. Share ideas and engage with them through the use of social media.

Know Your Employees

Remote employees execute work strongly when they are motivated and inspired, and this can be done by earning the trust, confidence, and respect of your employees.

Employees want to be led by a proficient and effective leader. Being a remote leader is a big responsibility and every member of the team must feel that they belong in your organization or business. Recognize your employees by giving them the opportunity to apply their skills and share their culture and values.

Remote team members can get to know each other by establishing clarity in communication and creating new norms. Discuss tasks by interacting digitally or bring them closer together by starting a group chat in a casual conversation.

Establish the Purpose Of Your Business

Create a proper structure and implement rules for everyone on the team so you are on the same page. Organize tasks based on their skills and set clear deadlines to make sure every member of your team is maximizing their time and knows what to do next.

Be Available To Your Employees

Advancements in technology allow people to not be tied to a specific work location and do jobs from different cities and locations. As a leader of a remote team, this is an opportunity for you to hire and select the most suitable employees that will benefit your business in the long run.

Reach out to your remote employee through face-to-face video conferencing by using a laptop or a smartphone. This encourages frequent interaction with employees as it is an opportunity for them to offer input and insights. Give employees the chance to voice out their opinions by listening to their concerns and learning from it.

Engagement and interaction with your employees on a daily basis will help employees feel more involved in your organization and it will make them feel more comfortable working with you.

Ensure Client Satisfaction

A successful remote leadership guarantees client satisfaction and makes an employee even more motivated to do better in their job as it gives them a sense of belonging to your team. Hiring the right employees will help a business thrive since they are an important asset.

Personal Development Leads To Effective Leadership

Deeply understanding yourself, the way you work, your colleagues, customers, and your product or service is essential to your success. The foundation of a successful remote organization is through self-leadership first. When you truly know yourself and who you are as a leader, you will learn to appreciate the members of your team more.

Embody your business’ mission statement and values so that your employees will uphold it as well. Have a positive work environment that motivates employees to repeat the performance you want to see more of and possibly exceed your expectations.

To lead remotely requires you act on these responsibilities every single day.

Jasmine Williams covers the good and the bad of today’s business and marketing. When she’s not being all serious and busy, she’s usually hunched over a book or dancing in the kitchen, trying hard to maintain rhythm, and delivering some fine cooking (her family says so). Contact her @JazzyWilliams88